


Harley Quinn is the Character Girls Need

by Sparkle 94 (acpendra)



Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Abuse, Anti Joker, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 21:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20699993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acpendra/pseuds/Sparkle%2094
Summary: I wrote this in light of the Suicide Squad movie a while back and even though, that movie let me down in terms of absolutely trying to sexualize the Joker and paint Harley and Joker's relationship as romantic. Since the abuse didn't test well with audiences. I still stand by this essay and statement. Even more so now that their trying to rewrite the Joker Harley dynamic which is one of the only honest popular depictions of abuse in media.





	Harley Quinn is the Character Girls Need

I dislike the argument Harley Quinn shouldn't be marketed to girls because Harley Quinn is an abusive toxic relationship with the Joker. I hate to burst your bubble but Movies and TV shows have been selling abusive relationships wrapped in the promise of romance and sexual fulfillment for years especially to girls. Vampire Diaries has Elena Gilbert hook up with Damon even though he raped and abused her best freind Caroline, and later does the same thing to another women Andy. Its plaed as sad when his brother Stephen murders her because Damon loved her. Romantic Comedies and Dramas have men and women use degrades, and treat each other horribly before getting married in the end. Attempted rape stalking, and emotional abuse is depicted as all right if it’s coming from a hot guy who needs redemption. So it’s far too late to worrying about that now it’s been going on since Gone with the Wind.

Harley Quinn is the character girls need! Unlike Bella swan, Buffy, Veronica Mars, Belle and countless others. Harley Quinn is a serious wake up call! In Batman the Animated Series Harley Quinn started out as a criminal phycologist with a promising career. The Joker seduced her by feeding her a sob story. He claims he was abused by his own father. He appears to open up only to her he even makes her laugh. Harley wants to help him to fix him she can see the good in him like so many other girls in fiction and real life she wants to fix him. So she willingly throws her whole life away and constructs it completely around him. She goes from Harleen Quinzel and turns into Harley Quinn. She has thrown away her identity so completely she becomes a female version of him in many ways. She throws away her job, identity, and even morals for the chance of true love. She willingly embraces his dangerous criminal life style.

However unlike a lot of other abusive relationships in media Harley's relationship is depicted not as a journey toward happiness but an endless cycle of repeats. The joker treats Harley badly she snaps, He pretends to be sorry, she forgives him, he hurts her again. We see this over a course of 4 seasons at least, or decades in the case of the comics. There is no progress and their never will be. The joker does not seek redemption and even though he does realize he misses Harley when he tries to replace her in joker Millionaire episode. A point that in most abusive media relationships would be a stepping stone to his redemption.

Nope not here he still continues to treat her badly. In fact throughout the course of the show he gets worse going from mild humiliation in season 1 to hitting Harley or throwing her around. Finally to pushing her out of a freaking window! By season 4 Harley Quinn ends up in a hospital and almost considers leaving him, but once again the Joker manipulates her into thinking he cares by leaving flowers. We as an audience have seen this happen time and time again.

There are hints the Joker is insincere such as the fact when he doesn’t need her, Harley stays in jail. In the Batman on Trial episode it’s revealed the Joker gave her up to the police to reduce his own sentence. Also this exchange between Batman and Harley. Batman- What did he tell you his father abused him, and the time they enjoyed together was at a play? Harley- (quietly) it was the circus Batman- Do you know how many people he's told a version of that story too? This exchange brings up a good point that female heroines and audiences never think to question the sob stories that bad men feed them. It’s never questioned whether or not he is a woobie, that he was abused; we never consider the fact a bad boy might be a manipulative liar. That their story of abuse is a crutch or not even true.

Batman the animated series brings up the fact that even the most intimate moments a girl can have with their abuser aren't worth anything. You good you thought you saw is a pretty lie and you’re in way in over your head. Harley realizes this but refuses to face reality like many real abuse victims. “It’s my fault I didn't get the joke." Harley Quinn rasps from where she lies broken and near tears in an alleyway. Everyone else can see what she refuses too. Heroes, Villains even cops tell her to leave him. They encourage her to empower herself get better take control of her life. However Harley insists everything is fine, “Sure my pudding might be a little temperamental but what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs" is her response.

I get the impression that when women say they don't want to see Harley Quinn get abused. What they mean is they don't want to see the Joker as the evil irredeemable asshole that he is. They would rather block their ears and write fanfiction and pretend that everything is fine and dandy that Harley Quinn as the ultimate Joker fan girl will redeem him and fix him like a good little self-indulgent bad boy fantasy self-insert.

They don't want to see her get hurt and cry and be fearful and question what she's gotten into because it’s too real for them. They'd rather continue to pretend that bad men just need awesome women like themselves to make them good. That any women or man who fails to fix their abuser just wasn't good enough. Most women want a bad boy fantasy wrapped in a neat, pretty little package. They don't want to deal with things like reality. Harley Quinn slaps them upside the head with her mallet and reminds them that she's hurting and if they go down her path they'll also hurt, because happily ever after with an abuser is just another lie sold by Hollywood so they can cash in at the expense of abuse victim’s everywhere.

I find it suspicious that suicide Squad Harley gets picked as a bad example for girls. As suicide squad Harley is joker free and although she's still the bad guy, Harley is trying to find and define herself without the Joker.

In fact in the comics Harley Quinn has been free of her abusive relationship for a while. Harley Quinn realized at some point in her life that Batman Ivy, Harvey Bullet and everyone in Gotham was right. She finally realizes that the Joker is a lost cause. That whether good or bad Harley needs to live for herself and finally find her own identity.

She may not be positive she's not the hero, but Harley Quinn does have a lot of good lessons to teach people, especially girls. Harley is the character that teaches you that sometimes girls make bad choices, and hit rock bottom but that it’s not impossible to still take control of your life no matter how far you've fallen or how lost and scared and confused you are. She's not special, a good person, perfect, or even sane but Harley is going to keep her head above water anyway and try her best with a smile on her face. Sometimes that's all you can do when things get really difficult. Harley Quinn may not be the best Role model for Girls but she's the character girls need.


End file.
